end grain

[marcros]

I made a couple of simple cufflinks yesterday when I had an hour to spare. I used some offcuts bits of rosewood, which I bought from a cue maker. Having looked online, I think it is Brazilian rather than East Indian, because it has relatively few pores.

The cufflinks are turned as a spindle, so you see the endgrain and the long grain is where the strength is needed. On the rosewood this end grain polishes to a dark red/brown.

Are there any timbers that have a particularly interesting end grain that I could use as a feature? The head is approx 20mm, so there isn't a huge amount of area to see on each.

Ideally sustainable timbers but interested in all answers!

 

[custard]

I made a couple of simple cufflinks yesterday when I had an hour to spare. I used some offcuts bits of rosewood, which I bought from a cue maker. Having looked online, I think it is Brazilian rather than East Indian, because it has relatively few pores.

The cufflinks are turned as a spindle, so you see the endgrain and the long grain is where the strength is needed. On the rosewood this end grain polishes to a dark red/brown.

Are there any timbers that have a particularly interesting end grain that I could use as a feature? The head is approx 20mm, so there isn't a huge amount of area to see on each.

Ideally sustainable timbers but interested in all answers!

Interesting question.

Elm is pretty distinctive, you can spot on through-tenons from across the room.

http://www.wood-database.com/wood-artic ... -and-soft/

On Oak you can see the medullary rays snaking through the end grain.

Which reminds me, on Snakewood those distinctive patches are also clearly visible on the end grain.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yew has quite distinctive end grain and you could use branch wood.

 

[Peter Sefton]

I love end grain Oak

Cheers Peter

 

[MikeG.]

I'm not sure you are going to see much of anything over the width of a cufflink. I doubt many here would be able to spot if it was oak or yew or elm from an endgrain sample only say 8 or 10mm across. Maybe you might go for a complete contrast and go for a yellow wood such as beech or ash. Heck, you could die any old thing green, maybe. At least people would be able to see a contrast.

 

[custard]

I'm not sure you are going to see much of anything over the width of a cufflink. I doubt many here would be able to spot if it was oak or yew or elm from an endgrain sample only say 8 or 10mm across.

I'd have thought cufflinks could go larger than that, maybe 15 or 18mm? And that would be plenty big enough to show lots of detail. When I'm in the workshop tomorrow I'll take some photos next to a ruler. Some softwoods can have 20+ growth rings per inch, and slow growing hardwoods can go much higher still.

 

[Woodmonkey]

Laburnum has lovely end grain, as does robinia

 

[marcros]

I'm not sure you are going to see much of anything over the width of a cufflink. I doubt many here would be able to spot if it was oak or yew or elm from an endgrain sample only say 8 or 10mm across.

I'd have thought cufflinks could go larger than that, maybe 15 or 18mm? And that would be plenty big enough to show lots of detail. When I'm in the workshop tomorrow I'll take some photos next to a ruler. Some softwoods can have 20+ growth rings per inch, and slow growing hardwoods can go much higher still.

These were 18/19mm across.

 

[MikeG.]

We may be talking at cross purposes here. My understanding was the cufflinks were 20mm across, and so any contrasting timber inset within it had to be a deal smaller than that. Therefore, my stab at 8 or 10mm.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

Oak end grain is (as with some others) is a favourite. Douglas fir is great, too. Have you thought of big old pine knots? Hard and polishes like glass.

Mike.

 

[marcros]

this is similar but IMHO mine were more refined in shape.

approx 18mm across x 20mm or so long grain

 

[marcros]

Hello,

Oak end grain is (as with some others) is a favourite. Douglas fir is great, too. Have you thought of big old pine knots? Hard and polishes like glass.

Mike.

pine knots. I hadn't thought of that, but they are certainly hard

 

[SteveF]

how about ebony or lignum?

Steve

 

[Kev]

Would imagine Zebrano end grain would work.

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

Black Palmwood

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Timbers you might be able to find locally/sustainably include prunus family like blackthorn or plum, they have attractive colours and shapes which might be interesting in an "oyster" end-grain pattern. There are often pink shades (which then darken down to mellow browns). e.g.

Blackthorn - prunus spinosa - https://chrismountadventures.wordpress. ... lackthorn/

Plum - http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/ ... s/plum.htm

The timber needs to be dried carefully but is pleasant to work with.

Cheers, W2S

 

[NazNomad]

Ok, as nobody has said it yet... Plywood.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Chip board would probaby match your tweeds.

 

[novocaine]

Mahogany?

 

[novocaine]

the end of this posh bamboo skewer is rather pretty. :lol: